The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-11-19
THE POULTERER.
RdisinT IH7E ms.

Breeding turkeys requires care and skill,
like any other successful occupation. AS
a rule, broad backed, full breasted, and
| large-boned breeding birds are selected.
Young hens will lay more eggs, but not of
such size as older ones. Six hens and
tom make very good breeding pen, but
one can use as many as twelve hens with
good vigorous tom.
AS a general rule, turkeys are allowed
through the breeding season to roam at
Will, but owing to their stealing nests they
cause much trouble, and they are very
| cute in their ways, so We find it much
better way to have yards attached to their
buildings, with two feet by four feet coops
for laying boxes, or piles of brush care
lessly placed about in the yards, which
answers the same purpose. 1t is often
the case that turkeys lay in the early part
of the day and can be released in the
afternoon to roam at large, which will in
| sure greater fertility in their eggs.
For sitting, turkeys should be allowed
| to occupy the same coop as when broedy,
or by making a covering over the brush.
| Great care should be exercised in keeping
the eggs clean, as they sometimes sweat
and get gummy, or perhaps one gets
| broken. Lukewarm water can be used in
such cases to clean the eggs. This process
should be done when the turkey is off the
| nest and ont of sight, as they are very
| sensitive creatures, and in some cases
| would leave their nest should they notice
| it had been disturbed.
The time of incubation with turkeys is
| twenty-eight days. Young turkeys are
| very delicate, and the less handling and
| fussing with that they receive for the first
| twenty-fo hours of their existence the
better chances for raising them. Leave
| the care entirely TO the mother hen until
| she shows desire to roam in fresh fields
with her young. Then remove the whole
| family to n coop, which should be in
readiness, of a size four by six feet, say,
| three and one half feet front, two and one
| half feet back, giving a santing roof of
one foot III pitch. Place boards around
| the body of the coop, with space three
| quarters of an inch between each, thus in
snring plenty of fresh air. The coop
| should be thoroughly whitewashed ard
| provided with a board floor covered with
| clean sand. The front should be made to
| close at night and in stormy weather. An
orchard where but little grass is growing is
| preferable to any other place for starting
| them.
Mother hens can be confined to the
orchard by a light board or shingle Sc
| cured on their backs by soft flat strings
drawn through holes and tied under their
wings. This method will not injure them
in the least. After the first twenty four
| hours they will begin to look about for
| food. The young turkeys should be fed
| gg-bread, curd, or light bread crumbled
in milk. Hard boiled eggs with a little
| black pepper are excellent for morning
| feed during the first week. After this
| period crushed corn, boiled the same as
| hominy, with clean dish of sour milk,
will answer very well until they ere four
| weeks old, when they should have an adj
dition of cracked corn and wheat Just be-
fore retiring for the night.
| After the turkeys are six weeks old they
| can be allowed to roam ut large and roost
! in n low shed or under courthouse. They
| may be taught to go home every night by
taking pains to feed them near their roost-
| ing place. Care should be taken to feed
IN succession, as the ground becomes stale.
One can change about after they get accus-
| toned to their roosting-place without
| danger of their wandering off in search of
new quarters. 1T this age The turkeys
| may be fed on whole grain at night. A
| warm feed. consisting of corn meal one
! third middIings and one third ground oats.
mixed with boiling water, makes a good
morning feed. Boiled potatoes once a
week may be added TO the morning feed.
Cayenne pepper added in small quantities
to their feed on damp mornings serves as a
! gentle stimulant. BToods about TO be
shipped should always be provided with
har1- wood ashes, and should be fed on
dry grain both before and after shipment.
-Heto1 +. Buck d Co, Lancaster, Mass.